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Queen Grimhilde's Castle
Queen Grimhilde's Castle, also known as the Evil Queen's Castle, the Wicked Queen's Castle, and The Queen's Castle, is a castle that is the home of Queen Grimhilde (also known as the Evil Queen) and a prominent location in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Though externally the archytype of a fairy tale castle (appropriately used as the backdrop for the film's poster to suggest the genre and nature of the film), its walls hide many dark and arcane secrets. This castle was also the home of the fair princess Snow White. Areas *'Courtyard': : A castle courtyard the location of the wishing well; here, Snow White sings I'm Wishing as she cleans, attracting the attention of the Prince, who climbs over the wall to meet her. As he sings One Song to her, the Queen watches from the window of her chamber high above the lovers, and furiously closes the curtains, jealous of the Prince's affections for Snow White. The courtyard is the only area of the castle shown in the film which does not reflect the Queen's personality. To the right of the castle, past the wishing well, leads to the doorway of the Underground Waterway. Entering the doorway, you will find the Vault. After navigating your way through the vault, you will reach a doorway to the Magic Mirror Chamber. *'Royal Chambers': : The Queen's Chambers are elaborately decorated to suit her vanity. The Queen rarely seems to leave her chambers; she watches events unfold below her from her window. A spiral staircase leads to the dungeon below. *'Magic Mirror Chamber': : The Magic Mirror is located behind a blue curtain in a special chamber in the castle. Every morning, the Queen approaches the mirror (sometimes closing the curtains after her, implying that the Mirror is a possession she wishes to keep secret) and asks who the fairest one of all is; when the Mirror names Snow White fairest of all, the jealous Queen plots to do away with her stepdaughter. *'Throne Room': :the Castle's royal throen room that is appropriately decorated with a relief of a peacock to reflect Queen Grimhilde's vanity. The throne is raised; the Queen thus addresses all her subjects from above. Humbert the Huntsman is summoned to the throneroom, and ordered by the Queen to kill Snow White and remove her heart. *'Dungeons': : A spiral staircase connects the castle's lavish upper rooms to the rat-infested dungeons. This area of the castle is used by the Queen to house both her enemies (whom she starves to death) and most of her arcane magical artifacts. It consists of several levels, the lowest of which leads out into the water surrounding the castle. *'Laboratory': : When the Queen hears that the Huntsman has failed to carry out her orders, she descends into her secret laboratory where she experiments with black magic. Here, the Raven is perched on a skull. The laboratory is filled with potions and magical ingredients, which the Queen mixes in various glass tubes and bottles. Here, the Queen transforms into the Witch, and prepares the Poisoned Apple to kill Snow White. *'Dock': : A trapdoor in the floor of the laboratory allows access to a flight of stone steps, leading further into the dungeons. This chamber is lined with cells, the homes of many former prisoners. The Witch sees one skeleton in a final attempts to reach a jug of water, and kicks the now empty jug at the skeleton, shattering the skull. Another flight of steps leads to a stone platform, where a small boat is moored. The Witch rows the boat through a tunnel leading outside of the castle, and reaches the shore leading to the forest. It is likely that this secret way of entering and leaving the castle is used by the Queen and her minions to keep the inhabitants of the nearby town ignorant of many of her underhanded deeds. Appearances in other media [[FIle:Grimhilde's_Castle.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Queen Grimhilde's Castle as seen in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.]]Queen Grimhilde's Castle appears as part of the Dwarf Woodlands in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Gallery Mirrorroom.jpg|The Queen approaching her Magic Mirror. Queenthrone.JPG|The Queen in her throne room. Queen presents Heart Box.jpg|The Queen presents the Heart Box for the Huntsman to put Snow White's heart in. The Queen drinking a magic potion.png|The Queen drinks the potion to transform herself into a hideous Witch. Witchdungeon.JPG|The Witch passing by the dungeon. Witch_boat.jpg|The Witch rowing away from the castle. Queen Grimhilde.jpg|Queen Grimhilde Trivia *Queen Grimhilde's Castle may have been inspired by the Segovia Castle in Spain. Buildings in Bavaria, the Rhineland and Cyprus are also alleged to have been inspiration. Though the castle was primarily designed, like all locations in the film, by Albert Hurter, Ferdinand Hovarth also made hundreds of inspirational sketches of the building and its chambers, suggesting the decadence above and the horror below; similarities have been noted between Hovarth's designs for the dungeons and Piranesi's Carceri etchings. Another possible inspiration for the dock in the dungeons is Gustave Dore's illustration of Charon at the entrance to Hell in "Dante's Divine Comedy". *The opening shot of the castle, half in shadow, half in sunlight, has been interpreted by some as symbolic of the presence of both good (Snow White) and evil (Queen Grimhilde) in the castle - notably, when Snow White no longer inhabits the castle, it is shown in complete darkness, at night. * The Evil Queen's Castle appears as the "capital" of the Realm of Doom as well as the seat of power forthe late wicked Queen's equally evil wizard brother Lord Maliss in the 1993 animated movie Happily Ever After. Category:Evil Lairs Category:Prisons Category:Villainous Symbolism